Father accused of killing his two young children before hanging himself

SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- A California father is accused of killing his two young children before hanging himself in a double murder-suicide Monday morning.

Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies were investigating a child custody violation between a husband and a wife involving their two children when they discovered the gruesome scene, KRON reports. Deputies made multiple attempts to contact the father and check on the children's welfare before they entered the home and found the bodies.

The father hanged himself in a bedroom. The children, ages 6 and 18 months, were nearby.

The wife had dropped the kids off with the man for Father's Day and was set to return them Sunday evening. The wife called the sheriff's office and deputies later found the bodies.